How to identify (and avoid) Criterion bootlegs

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dx23
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
Location: Puerto Rico

How to identify (and avoid) Criterion bootlegs

#1 Post by dx23 » Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:14 am

I know I had a link somewhere in my computer with info about Killer and Salo bootlegs but I don't seem to find it. What I have is this. Some ebay user created this helpful guide to avoid various types of bootlegs including Criterions. As soon as I find the Killer link, I'll post it.

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Theodore R. Stockton
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:55 pm
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#2 Post by Theodore R. Stockton » Fri Mar 11, 2005 1:34 pm

It's been a few years since I searched for the OOP titles but when I did the discs with the mirror/glazed type images were changed to color images for bootlegs. I don't know if bootleggers have perfected the mirror/glaze thing by now.

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katjakassin
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:24 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

#3 Post by katjakassin » Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:53 am

Something I've been wondering about is the Paul Champaign gold case that I've seen every once in a while that houses The Killer and Hard Boiled. Does anyone have any information on this?

Also, I purchased a bootleg copy (Unbeknownst) of Hard Boiled a couple of weeks ago which have since been returned. The disc was silver instead of gold and the insert was printed on a thick glossy stock paper instead of the stanardish insert paper.

kevyip1
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:07 pm

#4 Post by kevyip1 » Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:48 pm

A long time ago I suggested that we keep a list of serial numbers printed on the ring of every genuine Criterion DVD, so we could identify a real disc from bootlegs. I even started on such a list by contributing some of the numbers, and a few members followed suit. That seems to be the ONLY surefire way to avoid bootlegs. When you see an auction, ask the seller what serial# is on his disc. If it's different from the real one, you know he's bootlegging. If he lies and tells you the real # but sends you one with a different #, you can return it, citing "item materially different from advertisement." I have yet to see a bootlegger who is able to forge a disc serial#.

Nobody listened to me then. Now we are still helpless against these criminals. Come on guys. When are we going to do it?? Wait til the collection reaches 1000 discs???

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Morbii
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 3:38 am

#5 Post by Morbii » Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:38 am

Why don't you post your serial numbers then?

kevyip1
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:07 pm

#6 Post by kevyip1 » Sun Apr 17, 2005 2:06 pm

I did post them on this forum 3 years ago. This forum went down a few times, so my post was lost. Here is some of what I posted: http://kevyip1.blogspot.com . So I already did my part. But none of you people has done nothing since.

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Morbii
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#7 Post by Morbii » Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:08 pm

Here's a few to add to the list:

Beauty and the Beast (2003 printing) DVDL-072050A1
Seven Samurai (First printing) IFPI LB75 91011502H L1
Silence of the Lambs CMCA L810 7982 CC15300 T00930-14 Y
Fiend Without A Face L384 7982 CC1564R1 @ N10501-16D

kevyip1
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:07 pm

#8 Post by kevyip1 » Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:29 pm

Beauty and the Beast should have 2 serial numbers because it is a dual-layer disc. Please double check.

Also, does anyone know how DVD Profiler is able to read a DVDs "disc id" ? And what exactly is a disc id, and how is it different from a serial number?
Last edited by kevyip1 on Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Morbii
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#9 Post by Morbii » Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:25 am

My bad, I figured they were the same number - the second layer is the same except a "B1" at the end instead of an "A1"

I've been busy lately, but I may be able to drum up some more in the future.

by Brakhage: an anthology
disc 1 DVDL-081060A1 / DVDL-081060B1
disc 2 DVDL-083650A1 / DVDL-083650B1

The Adventures of Antoine Doinel
the supplements: DVSS-078560A1
The 400 Blows (printing in box set): DVDL-078890A1 / DVDL-078890B1
Stolen Kisses: DVDL-077150A1 / DVDL-077150B1
Bed and Board: DVSS-077080A1
Love On the Run: DVSS-076840A1

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas:
disc1: DVDL-071030A1 / DVDL-071030B1
disc2: DVDL-071470A1 / DVDL-071470B1

Man Bites Dog: DVSS-061660A1

The Royal Tenenbaums
disc1: 359.1.DV.G3939.1.S9A 189556-C20-1 / 359.1.DV.G3939.1.S9B 189558-C20-5
disc2: 359.1.DV.H1577.1.S5A 189258-C20-7

Also, are there multiple versions/printings of spartacus? My serials on that disc set differ from yours, but I got it (the DVD set) from the same source that I have discs from that match your serials.

For the record, I have only been posting serials from discs that I bought at the store (actually, I might have gotten Silence of the Lambs from Columbia House years ago), rather than internet purchases. I have a copy of ALL OOP DVDs, most of which I am sure are legit (my copy of Salo and The Killer are both white ring with nimbus logos - I will post if requested, and for verification purposes - I do question my copy of Robocop)

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Cinephrenic
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:58 pm
Location: Paris, Texas

#10 Post by Cinephrenic » Sat Apr 23, 2005 3:50 pm

How to identify (and avoid) Criterion bootlegs
Simple. Buy them online from DVD merchants. :lol:

kevyip1
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:07 pm

#11 Post by kevyip1 » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:47 pm

Morbii wrote:by Brakhage: an anthology
Also, are there multiple versions/printings of spartacus? My serials on that disc set differ from yours, but I got it (the DVD set) from the same source that I have discs from that match your serials.

For the record, I have only been posting serials from discs that I bought at the store (actually, I might have gotten Silence of the Lambs from Columbia House years ago), rather than internet purchases. I have a copy of ALL OOP DVDs, most of which I am sure are legit (my copy of Salo and The Killer are both white ring with nimbus logos - I will post if requested, and for verification purposes - I do question my copy of Robocop)
Btw, thanks for your work so far. What are the serial #'s on your Spartacus set?

Of all your DVDs you mentioned, I only have the Doinel box set and Beauty and the Beast . Btw my BatB serial #'s are DVDL-072650A1, DVDL-072650B1. Could you check if yours have a typo? Your Doinel serial #'s are the same as mine, however.

Yeah, I had a feeling different printings from different factories/dates/times might yield different serial #'s. At least so far we know the Criterion serial #s are mostly in the format DVDL-nnnnnnn A or B, and 1 or 2. And the older the title, the lower the numeral "nnnnnn" seems to be. From what I've noticed, the serial# format is different for every manufacturer.

One way to check your OOP DVDs authenticity is use DVD Profiler (freeware) to read its disc id, and see if the program detects it as a Criterion disc. If this serial # thing doesn't work out, we might have to settle for using DVD Profiler. (But DVD Profiler CAN make mistakes sometimes.)

mmiesner
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:02 am

#12 Post by mmiesner » Sun Apr 24, 2005 2:53 am

my only comment about using DVD Profiler to 'check' your copies is the reliability of the software. i know that if i pop a burned copy of a cd into my computer, itunes will pick it up as the original a good amount of times.

has anybody thought about contacting Criterion for such a list of their serial numbers? it would sure as shit be easier than getting all of the numbers of all the different printings compiled on here. i don't know how touchy they would be with providing that to us. just a thought.

matt

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Morbii
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 3:38 am

#13 Post by Morbii » Sun Apr 24, 2005 4:06 am

My BatB numbers match yours - I read the 0 as a 6 because there was a piece of dust or something on it that made it look like a 0.

My spartacus numbers:
DISC 1: FR CC1568.1.A VC01 / FR CC1588.1.B VA01
DISC 2: FR CC1551.2.A VB01

it also has these numbers, but wasn't sure if they were part of hte serial or not (in one layer it comes BEFORE the other numbers, and then after on the other layer, and they are both like halfway around the disc. On the second disc the numbers are below the serial:
DISC 1: IFPI L908 / IFPI L906
DISC 2: IFPI L907

I was sent a PM by someone giving me their robocop #'s, and they didn't match mine (albeit they were very close, and some of it might have been a typo). Here are the ones that I was sent:
CMCA L807 7918 ROBOVER21 O01009 Z/
CMCA L810 7918 ROBOVER20 T01007-01 Y

Here is what mine reads:
L807 7918 ROBOVER20 O91001 -07 Y
L810 7918 ROBOVER21 T81226-12 Z
there is a CMCA in front of the first layer, but like before, it's halfway around the disc. These numbers don't seem so different, and the Z almost reminds me of the Nimbus logo.

Anyway, here are a few more, and more on the way:
The Vanishing - DVDL-041910A1 2 / DVDL-041910B1 2
The Bank Dick - DVSS-021360A1
Chasing Amy - (E7460) D7793 L1 / (E7459) D7793 L0
The Last Temptation of Christ - DVDL-016930A1 / DVDL-016930B1
Schizopolis - DVDL-099660A1 2 / DVDL-099660B1 2

I also just noticed there's a layer 0 serial on my Seven Samurai (it's very hard to see, you have to tilt it in the light just right:
IFPI LB76 012806

kevyip1
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:07 pm

#14 Post by kevyip1 » Sun Apr 24, 2005 9:18 am

Morbii, I'm beginning to think maybe getting serial #s isn't such a good idea. It would be too hard to keep track of all the different serial #s Criterion uses over the years. I'm going to contact Jon Mulvaney anyway. (To improve my chance of getting a reply from him, I will just ask him for OOP DVD serial #s.)

Let's use DVD Profiler for now.
mmiesner wrote:my only comment about using DVD Profiler to 'check' your copies is the reliability of the software. i know that if i pop a burned copy of a cd into my computer, itunes will pick it up as the original a good amount of times.
Well, itunes is a different program altogether and it's for CD. DVD Profiler is a PC software for cataloguing your DVD collection, and it can identify a DVD just by reading it from a DVD-ROM drive and getting its "disc id". From my experience it seems pretty accurate.

mmiesner
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:02 am

#15 Post by mmiesner » Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:41 am

yes, i understand that DVD Profiler is different and for DVDs, my comment is that if someone is bootlegging these they are copying them the same way i copy cd's, and if i pop a cd into my player it reads it as the original if i copied it exactly. my question is, if somebody makes a carbon copy of a DVD, how does the program differentiate? i mean, if all the files and software installed onto the DVD are the same as the original, how then does DVD Profiler know to differentiate? i've never used the program so i am just asking for my own amusement, but also pointing out that a good bootlegger can probably get around that pretty easily. if someone could explain to me how the program can differentiate, it would be appreciated. dankeschon.

kevyip1
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:07 pm

#16 Post by kevyip1 » Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:24 pm

According to DVD Profiler's documentation, it "reads the disc id that is imprinted on the DVD." I tried it with a few bootlegged discs and a backup copy of a Criterion DVD that I made myself, and it couldn't read any of them.
On 4/24/05 10:07 AM, "Kevin Yip" wrote:

Sender: Kevin Yip
Question Type: Question
Comment: Hello Jon,

I've been a fan of "The Criterion Collection" for a long time I own 30 laserdiscs and half of the titles in the collection. I've never written you before, knowing how busy you must be. But this time I write to you with the slightest hope that you might be able to help me. And yes, this may seem like a big request...

My request concerns the serial numbers imprinted on the back of every dVD disc. E.g. DVDL-011690A1. Is it possible you could give me all the
serial numbers of all the OOP titles?

As you already know, there are rampant bootleggings of Criterion DVDs going on at places like ebay. Bootleggers are often able to duplicate the cover art, disc art, and, of course, the content of the discs. But one thing they can never duplicate is the serial number imprinted on each disc. Only a serial number, which is created by the original manufacturer, can identify a genuine Criterion disc.

Since I own half of the Criterion DVD titles, I've been trying to record all the serial numbers on my discs. But one day, I noticed that a serial number can be different even for the same title. For instance, my Spartacus DVD has serial numbers DVDL-034800A1, DVDL-034800B1, and DVSS-034810A1. But someone else's Spartacus DVD has FR CC1568.1.A VC01, FR CC1588.1.B VA01, and FR CC1551.2.A VB01 instead. So obviously, different printings done at different times and/or factories can yield different serial numbers.

Since only Criterion has a list of all the serial #'s that have been used on a title, this is why I'm asking you if you could somehow give me a list of all the numbers.

I know this is a big request even for the few OOP titles, and if you don't do it, I will understand. If you can do it, thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Kevin Yip
Here is JM's reply:
Dear Kevin,

I'm afraid we do not keep a record of the numbers printed on the inner
rings
of the discs. Sorry I cannot be of greater assistance.

Best,
JM

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Morbii
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#17 Post by Morbii » Sat Apr 30, 2005 6:01 am

More serials coming soon!

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dx23
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
Location: Puerto Rico

#18 Post by dx23 » Tue May 03, 2005 7:01 pm

This is an example of the most common Hard Boiled Criterion bootleg. It has a disc art similar to the real thing but softer in color and a gold center instead of silver one. He has several of them and the imbecile wrote OPP instead of OOP in the title of the auction. He is most likely more of a fan of Naughty by Nature than the Criterion Collection.

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Andre Jurieu
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Back in Milan (Ind.)

#19 Post by Andre Jurieu » Tue May 03, 2005 11:58 pm

dx23 wrote:He is most likely more of a fan of Naughty by Nature than the Criterion Collection.
It's a close call for me. Such fond memories of adolescence.

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dx23
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#20 Post by dx23 » Mon May 30, 2005 8:29 pm

Whats the deal with all the Killer CCs on ebay with the mirror ring instead of the white ring. They claim it is legit but I highly doubt it. I cant say for sure cause I dont own it. They are still getting upwards of $100.00. Any info?
It would be better if you posted some examples for us to help you, but by what you are saying, it sounds like bootlegs to me.

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mbalson
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Contact:

#21 Post by mbalson » Fri Jun 03, 2005 12:34 am

I love how there's an MGM logo in the bottom left corner. Really, how hard would it have been to get at least that right.

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Morbii
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 3:38 am

#22 Post by Morbii » Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:40 am

Mon Oncle - DVDL-034440A1/DVDL-03440B1
M. Hulot's Holiday - DVSS-034050A1

Got a new job and been real busy.. not sure if I will be really posting any more in the future.

Red Beard
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 2:47 am
Location: District of Columbia

#23 Post by Red Beard » Sat Jul 09, 2005 2:54 am

what about pictures of the authentic discs?

if everyone sent in photos of different elements, someone could compile them and put them on a site.

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Gigi M.
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:09 pm
Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Rep

#24 Post by Gigi M. » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:08 pm

I recently bought a copy of Hard Boiled on ebay. My disc appers to be original with the nimbus logo and original code on the play disc. However the covert art and insert apper to be a cheap xerox copy. Can anyone help me? The disc I 100% sure is original since I own over 200 criterion dvd, but the printing material looks cheap.

Please help me if anyone has any info on this

Carlos

yumitree
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:04 pm

#25 Post by yumitree » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:47 am

it could be a former rental and, when bought at a place like blockbuster, didn't come with the original box-art.
i bought my copy of sid and nancy (the criterion) at a blockbuster and it just came with the blockbuster cover from rental discs, not the original artwork.

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